‘Process and dispose of waste yourself’

The Tiruchi Corporation would soon stop collecting solid waste from bulk generators such as marriage halls, hotels, hostels and educational institutions as they are required to process and dispose their waste by themselves.

Seeking to spur institutions and establishments generating solid wastes in bulk to create necessary infrastructure to process and dispose their waste, the Corporation on Saturday set up an exhibition featuring some of the technological options and equipment available for such organisations. The exhibition was inaugurated by Collector K. Rajamani.

Speaking at the inaugural N. Ravichandran, Special Officer-cum-Corporation Commissioner, said under Solid Waste Management Rules, all bulk producers of solid waste such as hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, hostels and educational institutions are responsible for processing and disposing their waste. “This exhibition is meant to show them the equipment available in the market for processing their waste. We will soon stop collecting waste from bulk generators,” he said.

Mr. Ravichandran said the city generated about 450 tonnes of solid waste every day and nearly 200 tonnes are being processed at micro compost yards. About 1,000 workers and 170 vehicles are engaged in collecting segregated waste door-to-door and ₹2 crore of revenue has been generated so far by selling the non-degradable waste for recycling to vendors.

The entire sum has been distributed to sanitary workers who collect the waste. This apart, inert waste is supplied to a couple of cement factories to be used as fuel.

“We have reduced dumping of solid waste at the Ariyamangalam Corporation dump by half already. We are working towards stopping dumping of solid waste at the yard entirely within a year,” he said and added that details of the best practices adopted by the city have been sought by the Swachh Bharat Mission authorities to be replicated in other cities in the country.

Mr. Rajamani appreciated the efforts taken by the Tiruchi Corporation. “The steps taken towards reducing dumping of waste at the Ariyamangalam garbage dump so as to prevent environmental damage was a commendable initiative,” he said and called upon the city residents to extend their cooperation by making the initiatives a mass movement.